alsohumans (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
alsohumans) wrote2016-07-03 09:33 pm
alsohumans) wrote2016-07-03 09:33 pm
Rules
Posting format found below.
GODMODDING
Come on, do we really need to say this? Don’t do it. We’re looking to play with experienced writers here, so we’re going to assume this isn’t your first game. If we see you blatantly godmodding at any point, your characters will be removed from game immediately. This one doesn’t have a three strike rule, at this point we all know not to do this.
IC VS. OOC (AKA MORE GODMODDING.)
We’re all here to have fun. IC drama shouldn’t be misconstrued as OOC drama or vice versa. Your OOC knowledge should not leak into IC knowledge. If a player tells you that their character is keeping a secret, your character should not suddenly become suspicious of their character without IC reason. If you feel as if your characters are suffering IC because of something going on OOC, please let the mods know. We’re here to help, and we’re Moderators! We want to smooth things over before anything gets out of hand.
CHARACTER AUTHENTICITY:
We understand that characters can be interpreted in different ways by different people, and that’s what makes RP so fun. There is not right or wrong way to interpret a character, but there are core elements of a character that makes them them. We, as fans, have an obligation to honor those core elements and try to maintain as much authenticity of that character as possible. Steve Rogers is not going to wake up one day and decide to go on a killing spree because someone finished the last of the Cheerio’s. Draco Malfoy is not going to start a ‘Muggles Are Superior’ after school club. These examples are obviously extreme, but they are along the lines of what we mean. We do not accept AU’s in this game, which is what makes this rule necessary. All characters have an alignment, from Lawful Good to Chaotic Evil, and changing that alignment without a well thought out plot to play it out in game is not authentic to the original character. Matt Murdock wouldn’t get paralyzed with fear if someone tried to steal his wallet on the street. A devoutly religious character would not denounce their religion, a character that has acted with ill intentions towards others without showing regret will not suddenly be burdened with the guilt of their past… there are thousands of examples that we can give. Authentic characters makes for better game play.
COMMUNICATION
We can not stress this enough. If you are struggling with anything, unsure about something, or just want to reach out to suggest a plot, reach out to us at any time. We are here to help you and make sure that everything runs smoothly. You can feel free to PM, email, or stop by out Inquiries page at any time.
FOURTH-WALLING
All characters in game can be fourth-walled. The reason for this is because a game with no characters or some characters subject to fourth-walling could effect the actual canon of some of the characters in play. For example, it’s much easier to keep Bruce Wayne IC if he finds out that he’s a comic book hero than it is to bring in Sheldon from Big Bang Theory and try to justify him not making Batman/comic book references or recognizing Bruce Wayne as a superhero.
CHARACTER/PB DOUBLES:
One incarnation of a character is allowed in game at any time. If Oliver Queen from Arrow is in play, Oliver Queen from Smallville cannot be applied for. Same for things like Tony Stark in MCU vs. 616, Sirius Black in Trio Era vs. Marauder Era, etc. If your character is from visual media or realistic media (movies, videos, shows, etc.) we request that you use the PB that the character was cast with. If you play a character from non-visual or non-realistic media (books, comics, etc.) we ask that you do three things:
- Make sure that the PB you are choosing is appropriate for the character and is as much of a likeness to the original source as possible. This means age, gender, etc.
- Make sure that the PB that you are choosing is not already taken by another character.
- Try to make sure that the PB you are choosing is not one that is already sensationalized in the world of RP. We understand that this rule is subjective and the mods are more than willing to help you out and talk with you if your PB choice can be problematic in the future. This will only happen when the PB can be used as a main role in popular fandoms. If the character that the PB would be used for is already taken with a different PB, you can consider that PB up for grabs (If someone is playing 616 Tony Stark with a different PB, you are more than welcome to use Robert Downey Jr.)
PB doubles are only allowed when two separate characters with the same canon PB are applied for, such as Bilbo Baggins from The Hobbit Trilogy and John Watson from BBC’s Sherlock.
NON-HUMANOID CHARACTERS
Due to the premise of this game, we are not allowing non-humanoid characters at this time. This includes giving humanoid PB’s to characters that were not humanoid in their original media.
PREGNANT/UNDERAGE CHARACTERS
All characters (and players) must be at least 18 years of age. If your characters age in their original source material is not specified or if they are close to 18, we are willing to age them up or assume that they are entering the game after they have had their 18th birthday, even if that would have happened "off screen". If aging up your character would require you to fill in a certain period of time, let the mods know and we’ll help you. We are not willing to age up characters who are 16 or younger in their original source material.
Pregnancy in this game is allowed, but there are no shortcuts. If you plan on getting a character pregnant, we expect you to play the next 9 months accurately. After that point, your character will have an infant to care for and they will be required to find the proper supplies for doing such, most likely through the Rewards program.
ORIGINAL CHARACTERS
Original characters are not allowed at this time. This rule will most likely change if the game grows in size.
HIATUS
We want to make sure that the game stays fun, and we understand if RL gets in the way of that fun. The mods are more than willing to work with you if life is getting hectic or if you’re having a hard time getting your head in the game, but we can only work with you if you let us know that you need us to. If you suspect that you’re going to be gone for a week or more, all we ask is that you tell us. Please do not take advantage of this. If you have been inactive for the majority of the month and tell us that you need or needed a hiatus right before an activity check after unannounced absence, we will not be able to grant you immunity from being removed from the game.
On certain occasions, an extension may be given at the mods discretion. If this is the case, you will be asked to make up for the missed activity due the previous month, while still meeting the activity of that month. If this happens, it will only happen once.
ACTIVITY
Activity takes place on the 28th of each month. There are different options to meet activity, which can be found below:
- One (1) substantial log, two (2) substantial hub posts.
- Three (3) substantial logs.
- Five (5) substantial hub posts.
Activity must be met for every separate character. If Character 1 only has one log, and Character 2 only has two hub posts, both characters will fail the activity check. If an activity check is failed, the character that failed it will be removed and taken off of the taken list. Characters lost in activity check cannot be applied for again by the same player. Although this system may sound strict, it is put in place to make sure that no player is sitting on a character without utilizing them, which effects other characters in the game that may have a CR with the underutilized character.
If you are playing a popular character and barely scraping by in several AC's in a row, the mods might speak with you and ask you to reconsider playing that character. This will only be on a case to case basis, and only if the character holds a significant role to several other characters in the game. A barely active Steve Rogers could be a problem if there was also a Bucky, Tony, Peggy, and Sam in play.
TAGGING
Tag any post that your character is a part of, as this will make things much easier for you when activity check rolls around. Your tag should be your character name and username. An example is, if your character is Elliot Stabler with the username establer, your tag would look like: Elliot Stabler (establer)
CLIQUES
Don’t do it. Everybody knows that it happens sometimes but cliques are undoubtedly the number one downfall of a game - why would people want to join if the existing players never reach outside of their comfort zone? We take this very seriously. If we notice that you are only playing with the same contained group of players or within the same fandom, we will warn you once. If you do not manage to reach out beyond that clique, we will have to consider removing you from the game. We understand that it sounds harsh but this is probably one of the most important things in the RP world, and once it starts it’s nearly impossible to stop. One clique forms so another one forms out of the players that are not welcome in that original clique, and so on and so forth. Consider that if you get a warning, you may not get replies or substantial communication from other players when you finally do try to reach out because your character has already shown disinterest in the other characters of the community, which could result in removal because your activity would still be contained to that original clique.
Pretty much what we’re saying is, the easiest way to not get kicked out for being cliquey is to not be cliquey in the first place. If your character would not IC reach out to those outside of their own world, that character may not be the best fit for the game. Remember, this is an active game, not a GPSL or a PSL.
PROPER POSTING
LOGS
Logs can be posted in prose or bracket form, but hub posts must be in first person. Logs can be done as threads in the log community, but you are also welcome to post a gdoc or the equivalent. All logs should be under a cut. When posting a log, please use the format below:
WHO: Characters involved
WHERE: Location of characters during log
WHEN: Day that the log happened. (Backdating is allowed. Backdating a log does not make that log count for a previous activity check. Do not forward date.) Also put a rough estimate of time (morning, noon, night).
RATING: Put a proper rating on your log so people know how mature the content is.
WARNINGS: Anything that people could find upsetting/disturbing/uncomfortable to read during work, etc. Things like sexual content or violence would go here. Put anything that could be considered as triggering here.
For a fancier style:
HUB (NETWORK)
Hub posts do not need to be put under a cut unless it is unusually large or has mature content. When your character posts to the hub from their device, an image is snapped of them when they submit their post or comment which can be conveyed through your icon (it can be assumed that the image is similar in expression but not the exact same, so if your PB in your icon is smiling while riding the back of a humpback whale, let’s just assume this means that your character is smiling.) Font edits can be used to convey different things in the hub:
Italics can be used for emphasis.
Bold font can be used for filters within posts.
If your character’s hub message is meant for someone specific or a specific group, the group can be either put in the subject line or can be filtered to within the post. An example is below:
I need a new bracelet.
[Cady]
I loved the bracelet you were wearing today! Vintage. So adorable.
[Plastics]
Cady’s bracelet was the ugliest f-ing bracelet I’ve ever seen.
When poor Cady replies to Regina under the false pretense that she liked her bracelet, she’ll put Regina’s name in the subject line to convey that the message is for Regina only.
CHARACTER LIMIT:
Right now, the character limit is 5 per player. A player can only play up to 2 characters from one fandom, and those characters cannot be ones that have substantial interaction. You can play Neville Longbottom and Cho Chang, but you can’t play Harry Potter and Ron Weasley.